JP3313904B2 - Print server system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print server system for selectively printing out image data from a host computer by a plurality of printers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a print server system of this type, when image data from a host computer is selectively printed out by a plurality of printers, each printer is provided with a stack-over detecting section and a detection signal is sent to the host computer. When a stackover state of the printer during transmission and printing is detected, printing is suspended until the stackover state is released. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 63-310452 discloses a method of stopping the operation of a printer or a copying machine having a plurality of discharge units when a stack over state occurs.

[0003]

However, in the conventional print server system, printing is interrupted until the stack over state is released. Therefore, if the user does not release the stack over state, subsequent printing can be resumed. There is a problem that the operation cannot be performed and the operation is troublesome.

[0004] When a stackover condition occurs, a method of switching to another printer and continuing printing is conceivable. In this case, however, the user does not know that the printer has been switched, and the recording by another user is not possible. Paper is mixed in one printer, which is inconvenient to return. Therefore, a situation in which printing is performed again occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a print server system which is convenient for a user when a printer during printing is in a stackover state.

[0006]

[0007]

[0008]

[0009]

A first means comprises a plurality of printers each having a paper discharge tray and detecting means for detecting whether or not the recording paper on the paper discharge tray is full, and a printer designated in advance. Print out by the first printer,
When the detection means of the printer detects that the recording paper on the paper output tray is full, the second printer is selected to print out the next page and thereafter, and that the second printer prints out. And a host device for printing out the indicated status sheet by a third printer designated in advance.

The second means includes a plurality of printers each having a paper discharge tray, a detecting means for detecting whether the recording paper on the paper discharge tray is full or not, and a display means, and a first predetermined printer. If the recording means on the paper output tray is detected as full by the detection means of the first printer, the second printer is selected to print out the next and subsequent pages. And a host device for displaying on a display means of a third printer designated in advance that printing is to be performed by the printer.

The third means selects the second printer when the detection means of the first printer detects that the recording paper on the paper discharge tray is full in the first or second means. It is characterized by comprising means for setting whether or not to print out the next and subsequent pages.

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

[0015]

In the first means, when the recording paper on the paper discharge tray is detected as being full during the printout of the first printer, the second printer is selected and the next page and subsequent pages are printed out. At the same time, a status sheet indicating printout by the second printer is printed out by the third printer designated in advance.

The second means selects the second printer and prints out the next and subsequent pages when the recording paper on the paper discharge tray is detected as being full during the printout of the first printer. At the same time, the fact that printing is to be performed by the second printer is displayed on the display means of the third printer designated in advance.

The third means sets whether or not to continue the printout by the second printer when the recording paper on the discharge tray is detected as being full during the printout of the first printer. Since it is possible, the user can select whether or not to continue the printout.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing one embodiment of a print server system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer in FIG. 1 in detail, and FIG. 3 explains the operation of the print server system in FIG. It is a flowchart for the.

In the print server system shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of printers 11 to 1n and a host computer device 112 are connected via a bidirectional interface, and the host computer device 112 is a higher-level device of the printers 11 to 1n. Computers, facsimile machines, copiers and the like. Host computer 1
Numeral 12 transmits print data to the printers 11 to 1n, and manages the printers 11 to 1n by receiving statuses from the printers 11 to 1n. Then, control as shown in FIG. 3 is performed. The host computer 112 is also connected to another host computer 112 via a network or the like.

Each of the printers 11 to 1n includes a controller 100 and a printer engine 108, as shown in FIG.
And a panel device 110 and a disk device 114. The engine 108 actually prints on the recording paper, and has a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the recording paper on the discharge tray and a full (stack-over) state.

The panel device 110 is configured so that the user can be informed of the current state of the printer by a display device, and the mode can be designated by an input key. The disk device 114 is, for example, a floppy disk device or a hard disk device, and is used to store various data such as font data, programs, and print data.

The configuration of the controller 100 will be described in detail. The CPU 101 controls the entire controller 100 based on a program stored in the program ROM 104 in advance, a mode instruction from the panel device 110, and a command from the host computer 112. I do.

The IC card 102 stores font data and CP data.
The U101 program is used to supply the program from outside, and the font pattern data and the program supplied by the IC card 102 are stored in the RAM 106. The RAM 106 is also used as a work memory of the CPU 101, an input buffer for input data, a page buffer for print data, a memory for download fonts, and the like. A non-volatile (NV) RAM 103 stores a mode instruction from the panel device 110 and the like. Used for

Engine interface (I / F) 107
Commands and status with the engine 108,
The print data is communicated, and the panel interface 109 is communicated.
Communicates commands and status with the panel device 110 to inform the user of the printer status by the panel device 110 or enable the user to specify the mode. The host interface 111 communicates with the host computer 112, and uses, for example, a Centro I / F or RS232C. The disk interface 113 is used to communicate with the disk device 114.

In the controller 100 having such a configuration, when data such as a character code, a control code, and a control command from the host computer 112 is received via the host interface 111, the data is transferred to the RAM 1
06 is temporarily stored in the input buffer. Next, the data held by the input buffer is taken out, and the head address of the font pattern for each character is obtained.
Layout information such as width, height, and print position is stored in the page buffer. When a page buffer for one page is completed, the data is developed in a frame buffer in a bitmap.

When the development is completed, a feed tray selection command, a discharge tray selection command, and a print command are sent to the engine 108 via the engine interface 107, and the bitmap data developed in the frame buffer is converted into video data. send. The engine 108 selects a paper feed tray based on a paper feed tray selection command, feeds paper, performs printing using video data, and selects a paper output tray based on the paper output tray selection command to discharge the paper.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation when the paper output tray of the printer designated by the user has a stackover will be described. In this embodiment, when the paper output tray of the printer specified by the user is over-stacked, the recording paper of the subsequent page is printed out by another second printer to continue the printing (paper discharge continuation mode). ) Can be set by the user via the host device 112.

First, as described above, the engine 108 prints on a recording sheet based on the command and the video data, thereby printing out one page (step S).
1). When the printout for one page is completed, it is determined whether or not the discharge tray of the printer is in a stackover state (step S2). If the stacker is not in a stackover state, the above process is repeated for each page (step S1).
On the other hand, in the case of the stack over state, it is determined whether or not the paper discharge continue mode is set (step S3). Then, if the paper discharge continuation mode is not set, the subsequent printing is interrupted and this processing is ended. On the other hand, if it is set, it is determined whether or not there is another vacant printer. (Step S4).

If there is another available printer, a second printer for printing out the next page is determined (step S5), and a message "Print out by another second printer" is made. Is printed out as a status sheet by the original first printer (step S6), and the process returns to step S1 to print out the next page by the new second printer.

If there is no other available printer, information indicating that printing cannot be performed by a new second printer is printed as a status sheet by the original first printer. Then (step S7), the subsequent printing is interrupted, and this processing ends.

Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, when the first printer specified by the user is in a stackover state, when the paper discharge continuation mode is set, "print out by another second printer" is performed. Since the information indicating “Yes” is printed out by the original first printer as a status sheet, the user can know that the printout is being performed by another second printer even if the printout is continued.

It should be noted that the discharge tray can normally discharge several sheets even when the stack is over, so that a problem such as a jam does not occur even if a single status sheet is discharged. If there is no other second printer available in step S7, the status sheet indicating "printout cannot be performed by the second printer" may not be discharged.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The processing shown in steps S1 to S5 is the same as that in steps S1 to S5 shown in FIG.
In the third embodiment, when the first printer is in a stack-over state (step S2), when the paper discharge continuation mode is set (step S3), and when another second printer is available, If there is (step S4), information indicating "print out by another second printer" is displayed on the display unit of the panel device 110 of the first printer (step S6a).

If there is no other second printer available (step S4), information indicating "printout was not possible by the second printer" is sent to the panel device of the first printer. It is displayed on the display unit 110 (step S7a). Therefore, in this embodiment, similarly, even if the printout is continued, the user can know that the printout is performed by another second printer.

In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5, in the host computer as the host device 112, information indicating "print out by another second printer" (step S6b) or "print out by second printer". Could not be performed "(step S7
b) is displayed. Therefore, the printout can be continued by the second printer, and the user can know that the printout has been performed by another second printer by displaying this information on the display by the host computer. . Note that the processing shown in steps S1 to S5 is the same as in the first and second embodiments, and a description thereof will be omitted.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. This fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the status sheet is printed out when the discharge tray of the first printer is over-stacked.
Printers can be set. That is, first, similarly to the first embodiment, when the discharge tray of the first printer is in the stack over state (step S2), when the discharge continuous mode is set (step S3), and If there is a vacant second printer (step S4), a second printer to print out the next page is determined (step S5).

Next, in the fourth embodiment, "another second
Is printed out by the third designated printer (step S6c), and the process returns to step S1 to print out the next page from the next page by the new second printer. Further, even when there is no vacant second printer, a status sheet indicating that "the second printer could not be selected" is printed out by the third printer (step S7c), and subsequent printing is performed. Is interrupted, and this processing ends.

Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the printout can be continued similarly to the first to third embodiments, and the user can know that the print has been made by another printer. In addition, since the status sheet is printed out by the third printer designated in advance, the status sheet is discharged to the original output tray of the first printer as in the first embodiment, and a trouble such as a jam occurs. Can be prevented.

The fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is a combination of the second and fourth embodiments. That is, information indicating "print out by another second printer" is displayed on the display unit of the panel device 110 of the third printer (step S6d), and "print out by the second printer" is performed. The information indicating that the printing was not possible is displayed on the display unit of the panel device 110 of the third printer (step S7d).

[0040]

[0041]

[0042]

[0043]

According to the invention of claim 1, wherein, according to the present invention, the sheet discharging the recording paper on the tray during printing out of the first printer is a second printer is selected when it is detected as the full state following After the page is printed out, the second
Is printed out by the third printer specified in advance, so that when the printer being printed is in a stack-over state, the status sheet of the third printer specified by the user is printed out. The continuation of printout can be known from the status sheet, and thus a convenient print server system can be realized.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, if the recording paper on the paper discharge tray is detected as being full during the printout of the first printer, the second printer is selected and the next page and subsequent pages are selected. Is printed out and the display means of the third printer designated in advance to print out by the second printer is displayed. Therefore, when the printer being printed is in a stackover state, the user The printout continuation can be known by the display of the designated third printer, so that a convenient print server system can be realized.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, if the recording paper on the paper output tray is detected as being full during the printout of the first printer, whether the printout is continued by the second printer or not. Since it is possible to set whether or not to continue printout, the user can select whether or not to continue printout.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing one embodiment of a print server system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer of FIG. 1 in detail.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the print server system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the print server system according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the print server system according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a print server system according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the print server system according to the fifth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 to 1n printer 100 controller 108 engine 112 host computer device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 3/12 B41J 29/38

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of printers each having a paper ejection tray and a detecting means for detecting whether or not recording paper on the paper ejection tray is full; and a first printer designated in advance for printing out. If the detecting means of the first printer detects that the recording paper on the paper discharge tray is full, the second printer is selected to print out the next page and thereafter, and that the second printer prints out. And a host device for printing out a status sheet indicating the above by a third printer designated in advance . 2. A plurality of printers each having a paper discharge tray, a detecting means and a display means for detecting whether or not the recording paper on the paper discharge tray is full, and printing out by a first printer designated in advance. When the detection means of the first printer detects that the recording paper on the paper output tray is full, the second printer is selected to print out the next page and thereafter, and the second printer prints out the next page. In advance
And a host device for displaying on a display means of the designated third printer. 3. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said first printer detects said first printer.
When the recording paper on the paper tray is detected as full
Select the second printer and print out the following pages.
A means for setting whether or not to
The print server system according to claim 1 or 2 .